Queen Anne's Revenge
Blackbeard's flagship, a captured French slaver turned pirate vessel.
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Queen Anne's Revenge was an early-18th-century ship most famously used as a flagship by Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. The date and place of the ship's construction are uncertain, and there is no record of her actions prior to 1710 when she was operating as a French privateer as La Concorde. After several years of French service as a naval frigate, merchant vessel, and slave ship, she was captured by Blackbeard in 1717. Blackbeard used the ship for less than a year, capturing numerous prizes. In May 1718, he ran the ship aground at Topsail Inlet, now Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina. The wreck was discovered in 1996 by Intersal Inc. and later added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
- Type
- Early-18th-century ship
- Original Name
- La Concorde
- Tonnage
- 200 tons
- Captured by Blackbeard
- 28 November 1717
- Grounding Date
- 10 June 1718
- Location of Wreck
- Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina
- Discovery Year
- 1996
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The ship that became Queen Anne's Revenge was a 200-ton vessel believed to have been built in 1710. She was handed over to René Duguay-Trouin, then converted into a slave ship operated by René Montaudin of Nantes, until sold in 1713 in Peru or Chile. She was briefly re-acquired by the French Navy in November 1716, but sold for commerce five months later. She was captured by Blackbeard on 28 November 1717 near Martinique. After selling her cargo of slaves, Blackbeard made her his flagship, added more heavy cannons, and renamed her Queen Anne's Revenge. The name may come from Queen Anne's War or Jacobite sympathies. In May 1718, after blockading Charleston harbor, Blackbeard ran Queen Anne's Revenge aground while entering Beaufort Inlet on 10 June 1718. A deposition by David Herriot states: "Thatch's [Teach's] ship Queen Anne's Revenge run a-ground off of the Bar of Topsail-Inlet." The sloop Adventure also grounded while trying to kedge her off. Blackbeard transferred supplies to the Adventure, stranded some crew, and later accepted the King's Pardon from Governor Charles Eden. Some suggest he deliberately grounded the ship to disperse the crew. The wreck was discovered on 21 November 1996 by Intersal's director of operations, Mike Daniel, using research by Phil Masters and David Moore. It lies in 28 feet of water about one mile offshore of Fort Macon State Park. Thirty cannons have been identified and over 300,000 artifacts recovered. In 2011, the State of North Carolina confirmed the wreck as Queen Anne's Revenge, based on artifacts including a brass coin weight bearing the bust of Queen Anne, a wine glass stem commemorating King George I's coronation, and a urethral syringe dated 1707–1715.
Reader's Guide
Queen Anne's Revenge is significant as the flagship of the pirate Blackbeard and as a rare archaeological link to early-18th-century piracy. The ship's career—from French privateer and slave ship to pirate vessel—illustrates the fluid nature of Atlantic maritime commerce. Its discovery and excavation have provided over 300,000 artifacts, including cannons of Swedish and English origin, a bronze bell dated before 1718, and book pages from A Voyage to the South Sea used as cannon wadding. The wreck's confirmation in 2011 resolved years of uncertainty. The site has been the focus of educational programs like the QAR DiveLive webcasts in 2000 and 2001, reaching thousands of children. Artifacts have been loaned to the Smithsonian and the Musée national de la Marine in Paris. The ship's legacy endures as a tangible connection to the Golden Age of Piracy.
Did You Know?
- The ship was originally a French privateer named La Concorde, and there is no record of her actions prior to 1710.
- Blackbeard captured Queen Anne's Revenge on 28 November 1717 near the island of Martinique.
- The wreck was discovered in 28 feet of water about one mile offshore of Fort Macon State Park.
- In 2011, the State of North Carolina confirmed the wreck as Queen Anne's Revenge based on artifacts including a brass coin weight bearing Queen Anne's bust.
- Sixteen fragments of paper from a book by Captain Edward Cooke were found inside a cannon, likely used as wadding.
Common Misconceptions (Editorial)
- Some believe that “Queen Anne’s Revenge” was built specifically as a pirate ship for Blackbeard. In fact, the ship was originally the French privateer *La Concorde*, and operated as a naval frigate, merchant vessel, and slave ship before Blackbeard captured her in 1717. - Another misconception is that the ship was deliberately sunk during a battle. The facts on record state that Blackbeard ran the ship aground while entering Beaufort Inlet on 10 June 1718, and some have suggested he grounded her intentionally to disperse the crew.
Why It Matters (Editorial)
*Queen Anne’s Revenge* endures as a powerful symbol of the Golden Age of Piracy, capturing the public imagination through Blackbeard’s fearsome legacy. Beyond the legend, the archaeological recovery of over 300,000 artifacts from the wreck offers a rare, grounded window into early-18th-century maritime life, slave trading, and naval warfare.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Queen Anne's Revenge?
It was a 200-ton early-18th-century vessel that served as the flagship of the pirate Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. He used it to command his crew and raid merchant shipping along the Caribbean and Atlantic coasts for roughly a year.
How did Blackbeard come to possess Queen Anne's Revenge?
The ship was originally a French privateer called La Concorde, which Blackbeard seized in November 1717. He renamed it and made it his primary command vessel for the remainder of his piratical career.
What happened to Queen Anne's Revenge?
On June 10, 1718, Blackbeard deliberately ran the ship aground at Topsail Inlet, now known as Beaufort Inlet in North Carolina. The vessel was abandoned and has sat on the seabed ever since.
Where and when was the wreck of Queen Anne's Revenge discovered?
Marine archaeologists located the wreck on the floor of Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, in 1996. The site was later added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
What was Queen Anne's Revenge before it became a pirate ship?
Before Blackbeard captured it, the vessel was a French slaver named La Concorde operating within the colonial trade network. It carried a tonnage of roughly 200 tons and was part of French maritime commerce in the early 1700s.
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